


A Conversation About Almosts

by very_distinctive_flamingo



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Drunken Confessions, Gen, Unrequited Love, Weddings, angie is a very nice person, jack and angie being friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:40:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25156381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/very_distinctive_flamingo/pseuds/very_distinctive_flamingo
Summary: At Peggy and Daniel’s wedding, Jack and Angie get drunk and talk about the people they love, and how it’s too late now to do anything about that.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa
Kudos: 22





	A Conversation About Almosts

**Author's Note:**

> this popped into my head and said “write me!!!!!” so i did. i hope you like it!!

“You know, I loved her,” Angie says quietly. Beside her, she senses movement as Jack jerks up to look at her, but she doesn’t turn. She stays sitting next to him on the edge of the patio, looking up at the stars. She tells herself he’s too drunk to remember anything she’s said tomorrow and that’s why she’s telling him this. But the truth is, she needs to say it someone, and by the looks of it, he’s going to understand better than anyone else. 

“You- Wait, who?” Jack splutters. 

“Peggy,” Angie says, nodding towards the dance floor behind them where Peggy is waltzing with her new husband, gazing into his eyes, content with the universe and oblivious to the hearts that are breaking. 

“You loved her?” Jack sounds strange, and she chances a glance at him but notices nothing out of the ordinary— then she looks harder and sees a glimmer of tears in his eyes. She doesn’t comment on it, she knows it’s the last thing he’d want. 

“I did,” Angie answers. “Desperately. Painfully. I... I think I still do.” 

She hasn’t admitted that to anyone before now, not even to herself. But from the way her hearts been burning in her chest all night, the way tears keep clogging her throat, she’s pretty sure it’s true. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Jack takes a swig from the bottle in his hand, and Angie reaches over and plucks it gently out of his grasp. He makes a sound of indignation but doesn’t protest more, apparently needing to hear the answer to his question more than he needs to get drunker than he already is. 

“Because. I think you’re in the same predicament,” Angie tells him matter of factly. He snorts, reaches for the bottle again, but Angie moves it away from him. 

“You think I’m in love with Carter?” he asks, not bothering hide the scathing incredulity in his voice. 

“Not Peggy,” Angie says quietly. 

She can feel him sagging, collapsing in on himself, and turns towards him for the first time. He’s hunched over, looking at his hands. This time when he reaches for the bottle, she hands it to him without a word. He takes a long drink and then, just when she thinks she’s overstepped and he’s not going to say anything—

“The worst part is the almost, huh? What you almost were, what you could’ve been.” 

“Yes,” Angie agrees. “There are days when I hate knowing I’m her best friend. I know that there’s only one person she loves more than me. I hate knowing that.” 

“Yeah, me too,” Jack says. “Sometimes I used to think, maybe now’s the time. Maybe now I can tell him. But I never did, and now it’s too late.” 

“All the words unsaid,” Angie mused. “You’re right, the almost really is the worst part.” 

Jack hands her the bottle, and they finish it off wordlessly, then she goes to get another. By the time the dancing is over, Angie is actually drunk, and Jack is about ready to pass out. She leans her head on his shoulder, feeling her body giving up. Saying “I’m done for the day, you’ve put me through too much.” She lets the tears in her eyes spill out, and when she feels something wet on her head, she realizes Jack is doing the same. 

“You know, I’m really glad I came over here,” Angie says. The words feel fuzzy in her mouth. 

“Yeah? Why did you in the first place?” Jack is slurring his words; she’s surprised he’s even capable of coherent thought. The bottle she found him with was almost empty. 

“‘Cause you looked sad,” Angie explains, trying to tilt her head to look up at him. “You looked how I felt. Thought you might need a friend.” 

“Yeah? We friends, Angie?”

“Yes,” Angie says. “Yes, we are.”


End file.
